STORRS — Returning members of the UConn hockey team don't have to wonder what it takes to beat a Hockey East team. The Huskies did it twice in three attempts last season, defeating UMass and Providence and losing to Boston University.

But the small sample size is probably more relevant than the success as UConn prepares for its first season in the nation's top conference. Hockey East is, as coach Mike Cavanaugh said, a meat grinder. The Huskies are about to be forced to grow up very fast, consistently facing the size and skill they only got the occasional taste of while a member of Atlantic Hockey.

"That's going to be our biggest challenge, and I've told the kids that," Cavanaugh, well aware of the Hockey East rigors as an 18-year assistant coach at Boston College, said Wednesday during UConn's media day at Freitas Ice Forum. "You can parachute in for one game and your kids can get really amped. The problem is we can do that this year, have a great win Friday night against a Hockey East team, and then the next night you might be at Agannis Arena [against Boston University], or the next night you might have Boston College coming in, or the next night Maine is knocking on your door. That's where, over the test of time, this league weeds out teams that are not prepared."

UConn is actually 4-3 against Hockey East teams since 2011-12, when this year's seniors were freshmen. The Huskies' all-time record against teams currently in Hockey East is 19-95-6.

Last season's 3-2 victory over the No. 9 Friars was the program's first over a top-10 team. It took a program Division I-record 58 saves by Matt Grogan. The Huskies were out-shot 60-26 in the game, and 139-82 in the three games against Hockey East teams.

"It's interesting because you come in as an Atlantic team, teams take you lightly and we get all fired up," said assistant coach Mike Souza, who played at New Hampshire in 1996-00. "To win in this league consistently, you're going to need your best Friday and again on Saturday. I'm sure we're going to have our growing pains. The biggest thing for our guys is that, hey, we're part of the league now, not just going in trying to pull off an upset. This is the competition night in and night out. I want our guys to feel and show they belong in the league."

In a preseason poll of coaches, UConn was predicted to finish last in the 12-team conference. Providence was favored to win, followed by Boston College and Notre Dame.

"We're the underdogs and we like to look at ourselves that way," said senior forward Trevor Gerling. "If nobody else believes in us, that's all right. We have 26 believers in the room and the coaches believe in us. The challenge is to come in every night with the same energy, the same detail, the same motivation."

UConn opens the season with nonconference games Oct. 10-11 at Penn State. The Huskies' conference opener is Oct. 18 at Merrimack. The home opener is Nov. 5 against Boston College at the XL Center.

The five-month journey will be interesting. Having only recruited with scholarships the past two years, UConn is in the unique position of having its most inexperienced players among its most talented. The Hockey East schedule will test depth and toughness at every position. UConn has 11 new players.

"You can't expect the guys to play perfect, but you can expect a perfect effort," said assistant Joe Pereira, who played at BU in 2007-11 and won a national championship in 2009. "If you don't bring your game, it's a tough place to be in. I learned from my experience at BU, you come out and everybody wants to give you their best effort. Now flip that around. We want to walk in and give them all they can handle every night, and hopefully walk out with a point or two."

Even schedule logistics will be an adjustment. The Hockey East setup has teams on most weekends playing home-and-home on back-to-back nights. In Atlantic Hockey, back-to-back games were typically played in the same arena.

"Every game is a test," said sophomore forward Evan Richardson, who was recruited to Boston College by Cavanaugh but transferred to UConn after appearing in just four of 40 games last season for the Eagles. "I think we've got a good squad. These freshmen coming in, they can skate like the wind. I think we're going to come every night and have to outwork teams, especially this first year when a lot of guys don't really know what we're going into."

Maybe it's not overly important that players fully understand. Last season, the Huskies also skated to a 2-2 tie in the home opener with eventual national champion Union, another recent memory to draw on.

"In some aspects, I don't want them to get it," Cavanaugh said. "There's something to be said for whether you think you can or can't win. I want them thinking they can win every game, because I believe it."